On 11 July 2023, H.E. Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, attended an International Seminar on “Public Health and Diplomacy” in Dhaka hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh.

Presided over by H.E. Ms. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, this event was held to celebrate WHO’s 75th anniversary and examine public health challenges through the lens of diplomacy and to exchange views on how to best address such challenges in the region. Also in attendance were ministerial-level representatives from the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region (WHO SEAR – i.e., Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, and Thailand), senior officials from SEAR countries, representatives of international organizations, civil societies, and other relevant stakeholders.

On this occasion, VFM shared thoughts on the interconnectedness between health and diplomacy as follows:

(1) The international community needed to invest more in both physical and mental health, while learning from its setbacks to better prepare for and respond to health challenges in the future. This included ensuring equitable access to medical countermeasures and supporting the development and provision of global public goods for health, both in normal times and in times of emergencies.

(2) Health diplomacy could help drive positive changes and advance fundamental values such as equity, human rights, and human security.

(3) Driving health agenda through diplomacy was conducive and essential to strengthening international development cooperation.

This event also provided an opportunity for Thailand to reaffirm its long-standing collaboration and partnership with Bangladesh through both bilateral cooperation and through WHO SEAR, and reiterate the importance of furthering such cooperation, with other international partners, through the upcoming High-level Meetings on Health during the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in September this year, namely Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Tuberculosis (TB), and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR).